Running, bicycling, and rowing are all popular forms of athletic activity and exercise. Often, given the necessary space, athletes and exercisers may tie on a pair of shoes and run for miles. People may also, if they have access to a bicycle and bicycle paths or a boat and a river, choose to ride or row for fun, competition and/or exercise. Unfortunately, many places do not have bicycle paths or accessible rivers. Also, people may not have the proper equipment to perform many of these exercises.
Additionally, even if a person is merely exercising for general health or fun, a competitive environment can add a much needed edge and can motivate people to higher levels of performance. Competition, however, requires at least one additional person, with the same or similar type equipment (e.g. to race bicycles, all competitors need to have access to bicycles). This can present another barricade to those wishing to competitively race or exercise, as now an entire additional set of equipment is needed.
Certain advances in technology have made many exercises and sport-like options available to people in the comfort of their living room or a local gym. For example, since the advent of the Johnny G spinning bike in the 1980s, spinning has become a popular method of training. Many gyms offer spinning classes, which may focus on a form of group training, featuring different exercises such as high speed spinning while sitting, high torque spinning while standing, etc. In addition to providing bicycling-like exercise without the need for a bicycle path, these spinning classes, for example, offer people the opportunity to exercise in groups. The group nature of these classes is often cited as one of the reasons for their popularity.
Even in a group, however, cyclists (or people participating in other group sports) may not be provided enough information about their performance and the performance of the others in a group. For example, while everyone may know that everyone in a group exercised for twenty minutes, no one may have a benchmark to compare their performance to that of their peers. Thus, the “competitive” aspect is removed from the group. While some bicycles may provide readouts that allow for post-class comparison of numbers, competition could be increased by providing additional real-time feedback at both the individual and the group level.
While a number of devices have been developed to help, for example, cyclists to monitor their cadence speed and amount of power exerted, few work on stationary bicycles. None of these devices provides a relative measure of performance between one cyclist and other group participants, and none are suitable as add-on components for existing exercise equipment. That is, the known power and cadence measurement devices must be built into the bicycle when assembled, and these devices are typically connected to a processing device via a wire.
In accordance with one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a sensor device is suitable for assembly into a compact unit that can replace one or more friction devices on existing exercise apparatus.
According to another exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a measurement apparatus interfaces with a piece of exercise equipment's brake pads or other friction device, and may be capable of measuring frictional force and/or rotational speed. On a bicycle, for example, these parameters may be respectively converted to power and cadence. Although many of the non-limiting illustrative examples herein refer to bicycles, they are presented by way of example only, and in no way intended to limit the teachings hereof to bicycles. The method and apparatus hereof can be applied to any exercise device including a rotating surface.
Additionally, in this exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a wireless connection to a computer or other calculation device permits further processing of the data and formatting of an exerciser's progress for display on, for example, an electronic display, such as a screen or monitor. In the group environment, multiple equipment sets may be used simultaneously, permitting users to engage in virtual races and other group activities. Data may also be recorded, processed and stored for future analysis, allowing the exerciser, an instructor or other interested party to monitor the exerciser's progress over time.
With the appropriate connections, people could even sit at home and use an Internet connection to compete against exercisers all over the world. Graphic feedback could provide a real-time competitive environment and allow those who do not have time to attend traditional gym classes an opportunity to nonetheless exercise in an indoor, competitive group environment.
According to a further exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a measurement device can optionally be retrofitted onto existing equipment. Stationary exercise equipment such as bikes, rowing machines and treadmills often carries a hefty price-tag. Many people, especially gyms with limited budgets and home-users, may not want to replace a still-functional piece of equipment. Or, they may want to replace it to gain the benefits of the exemplary implementations, but may not be able to afford to. If one exemplary implementation is capable of being retrofitted to existing equipment, it becomes much less expensive and wasteful for numerous people to participate in group exercises as presented herein.
In accordance with a desire to make the device convenient and unobtrusive, one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation is provided with a wireless connection to a processing device, such as a computer. In this exemplary implementation, there is no need to run bulky and potentially hazardous wiring from one or more pieces of exercise equipment to a processing device.
According to another exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, each sensor device may have an individual identification. This ID can be, for example, an alphanumeric code, a detachable memory device or card, or any other suitable form of unique identification.
In yet another exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, a sensor device senses at least the frictional force of a brake pad onto a wheel. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor device may also sense the frequency of rotation of the wheel. Other appropriate measurements, such as leaning and heart-rate may also be taken through the same or additional sensor devices. The sensed parameters may be coupled to a visual feedback environment that informs the exerciser of his or her current performance. Possible performance parameters include, but are not limited to, relative location on a virtual course and to other exercisers, time, power, cadence, heart-rate, distance, velocity, work, etc.
As one example, a group of people can be tracked in virtual proximity based on their individual speed or other outputs. Through the use of, for example, a leaning sensor, it may even be possible to encourage realistic leaning or movement when passing a cyclist or rounding a virtual corner. The visual displays can be shown on a TV display, a computer monitor or other appropriate display as static or moving graphics. Displays can also be forgone if there is only a desire to measure, for example, individual performance. The competitors may be in the same room (such as at a gym), or may be in locations spread out all over the world and connected over the Internet.